


pick up the pace, catch up with fate

by forsekais



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal Sex, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Junmyeon is a fortune teller, M/M, also appearance of girl!kyungsoo cuz i had a dream, the joke is probably older than me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:27:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24679240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forsekais/pseuds/forsekais
Summary: Jongin and Sehun are BFFs. Until a fortune teller tells them otherwise.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 29
Kudos: 1030





	pick up the pace, catch up with fate

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt I found in [this](https://perfectlyrose.tumblr.com/post/101118660910/au-prompts-masterlist-of-lists) masterlist: "The OTP are friends who get their fortunes told and are told that they are destined lovers who will soon be brought together by fate. Cue shenanigans that seem to suggest the prophecy is right."
> 
> Title taken from the song "Definition of Destiny" (: No beta, we go down like men.
> 
> [ Twitter ](https://twitter.com/forsekais)

"I thought we're getting bubble tea?"

"We are," Jongin says. They are standing in front of a rusty door a few blocks away from their college. It looks like an old, abandoned storage room, except for the neon Open sign that flickers when Sehun looks up, then it burns out completely. "We just need to do this first. It won't take long, I promise."

"No."

"You don't even know what it is."

"The answer is always no," Sehun says with a firm finality. "I'm leaving. And if you don't return within the next two hours, I'm calling the cops to file a missing person report."

"Dramatic," Jongin rolls his eyes. "Come on, Sehunnie. Aren't you curious about your future?"

Sehun slowly takes off his Ray-Ban sunglasses. "You're taking me to a fortune teller?"

"A _certified_ fortune teller," Jongin blissfully confirms. "He's always fully booked, but I managed to ask Jongdae to give us his slot. We are very lucky."

"Jongin, you know all these prophecy stuff are bullsh—" Sehun's voice is muffled as Jongin suddenly clasps a hand over his mouth.

"Be quiet," Jongin shushes him. "I heard that places like this are protected by holy spirits. They're watching, so don't say anything stupid."

Jongin is probably the sole embodiment of stupidity around here, but Sehun is not that cruel to say it out loud. "I'm not going in," he announces instead. "Not even if you offer to buy me lunch for the rest of the semester."

"How about I buy you lunch every day _and_ bubble tea two times a week for the rest of the semester?" Jongin bargains.

"And you have to watch all of Super Junior's concert DVDs with me."

Jongin holds out for a moment. "How many DVDs you have? Twenty?"

"Twenty eight," says Sehun. "I created a schedule. We'll alternate between Korean ver, Japanese ver and Chinese ver."

"Alright," Jongin agrees, very reluctant. He doesn't seem happy at the sound of Sehun's proposition, but Sehun couldn't care less. He flashes Jongin a smirk, and Jongin frowns.

"I will not allow any replay," he starts, "and I'm not going to wear that _Siwon oppa marry me_ T-shirt."

"Too late," Sehun cuts him off. "A deal is a deal."

\---

The incense heavy room is cramped, stuffed with antique furniture. There's an old mirror with dark edges hung loosely on dun colored walls. In the middle is a wooden table covered by a ragged tablecloth that is definitely older than Sehun's grandmother, with things scattered all over it: weird statues, thick books, candles and a black obsidian crystal ball.

Jongin makes himself comfortable in one of the maroon chairs and Sehun follows suit, muttering under his breath about some idiot who studies science but still believes in fortune telling.

"Do you even know what you want to ask?" Sehun says with a sneer of disbelief on his face. "If it's about your Anthropology midterm next week—"

There's a shuffling sound of someone moving in the back of the dark room, then a young man appears behind the beaded curtain and gracefully slips down onto the white leather chair across them. To Sehun's surprise, the man looks just like any normal city resident, dressed in a blue sweater and his brown hair neatly combed to the side.

"Greetings, gentlemen," he says airily. "I've been expecting you."

"You're not my mother," Sehun retorts.

Jongin elbows him not so discreetly. "I've heard a lot about you from Jongdae," Jongin gives the man a sweet smile. Sehun scoffs. "It's truly an honor to meet you, $uho-ssi."

"Suho?"

"$uho," the man calmly corrects. "My childhood friend gave me the nickname after I bought out our kindergarten so that I could expel her bullies."

Jongin blinks.

"Wow," Sehun says, dumbfounded. "That's the dumbest name I've ever heard. Finally someone beat Chanyeol and his ridiculous Pixiwai alias."

"Sehun!" Jongin bares his teeth at Sehun but ends up looking more like a teething puppy than an enraged wolf. "I'm so sorry," he bows to $uho. "He's...new. He doesn't believe in fortune telling," he adds as an afterthought, "yet."

$uho looks strangely serene, as if he'd spent a great majority of his life listening to people tell him that they don't believe him. "It's alright. To each his own." He grins. "Well then, let's get this done quickly so you guys can go line up for bubble tea."

Jongin gasps. "You know!" He turns to Sehun, eyes glowing. "He knows!"

"Or maybe there's a hidden camera on the door outside and he listened in on us like a creep," Sehun snorts.

"I can't force you to believe anything," $uho smiles. "But you're my customer, so I'm going to treat you with respect and dignity. Please wait here."

"Didn't know scammers have work ethics too," Sehun tells Jongin when $uho leaves to retrieve something.

"Shut your mouth and trust the man," Jongin scowls. "There's a reason he's called the descendant of Nostradamus. His predictions about presidential election, K-pop scandals and World Cup match results have been 100% accurate."

"Right, so what now? Is pseudo Nostradamus going to look at that crystal ball and tell me where to find my soulmate? Then what? Do I bring him sacrificied animals in exchange for his words?"

"It's 2020. I take cash, credit card or bank transfer," $uho returns with two steaming cups of coffee. "Drink this."

Sehun narrows his eyes. "How do I know you're not trying to drug us?"

"You could really use some faith in humanity," $uho comments dryly. "But if you want evidence, your friend just finished his cup and as you can see, he's as healthy as a horse."

Alarmed, Sehun whips his head around and Jongin is there, a drop of coffee flows down the corner of his mouth. His empty cup is staring back at Sehun. Sehun regrets his decision to befriend Jongin seventeen years ago after Jongin agreed to give him his strawberry milk when their kindergarten teacher didn't notice. It was a moment of weakness, and now Sehun has to endure an idiot best friend for the rest of his life. Perhaps, in retrospect, he should've just asked the teacher for an extra bottle of milk. It'd have made his life easier.

"The flavor is really bold," Jongin says. "You'd like it, Sehun. It's different from your overpriced Starbucks expresso."

"Jongin, what did my mom tell you about taking food from strangers?"

"He's not a stranger," Jongin says, ignoring the fact that they just met the fortune teller twenty minutes ago. "Drink it."

When Sehun doesn't respond, Jongin starts pouting, lower lip jutting out and puppy eyes already in place. One day, when Sehun reaches zen, he'll be able to resist all of this. He just has to bear with Jongin until then. Patience is a virtue.

"Fine," he grumbles and drains his cup. The coffee is Turkish, thicker and sludgier than expresso. The flavor is distinct; Sehun hasn't had any coffee like this before. His facial muscles are tricking him into smiling, but he puts up a fight. And wins.

"It's Nuri Toplar," $uho says without looking up. "They slow roast Arabica beans under wood fire. That's their secret." He turns Jongin's cup three times to the right, and tells Jongin to close his eyes and put his hands over the cup for a minute. Then he swiftly turns the cup upside down and leaves the coat of coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup to rest for drying.

Sehun starts a game of Solitaire on his phone as $uho and Jongin both fix their eyes on the irregular patterns formed from the dregs and $uho begins to explain what the patterns say about Jongin's future. He foresees good economic omens, which Jongin immediately links to the summer internship at SM Group he plans to apply for. He also mentions a couple of things, such as a bad emotional omen that could be a fallout with a close friend or conflict with a family member, or how Jongin should be more careful of his digestive health, and that he needs to pay close attention to financial matters to avoid overspending, especially in the next month.

"Now I'm going to read your love life."

Sehun ends the game and perks up curiously. Next to him, Jongin wriggles in his chair, his right foot tapping the floor in anticipation.

"You've already met the one you're going to spend the rest of your life with," $uho smiles warmly. He tips the cup over. "See how it formed a letter D here? D can signify love or power, depending on where it's facing. This D is totally facing the right, which means love. A very strong one."

"Is it Chanyeol?' Jongin asks, terrified.

"I'm pretty sure Chanyeol is straight," Sehun comments. "He always looks like he's two seconds away from suffocating himself with Kyunghee's boobs."

"But Kyunghee is Cup A?"

"Exactly."

"Boys, it's inapproriate to discuss about a lady like that," $uho frowns. "A lady is like a rose. Treat her right."

If a lady is a rose, Kyunghee would be all thorns and no blossom. But before Sehun can point that out, $uho already returns to his tasseography reading. "The person is close by. Your path together isn't too clear just yet. You'll need to overcome a few obstacles, but your bond with this person is truly one of a kind," he closes his eyes. "Only _destined lovers_ will have a bond this strong."

"How can I identify the person?" Jongin asks. "Is there any sign? You know, like the red string that will only appear when you meet your soulmate?"

"Honey, don't believe what fictions and movies tell you. They always exaggerate," $uho advises, although he's the one making predictions about the future based on coffee remnants. "The two of you are made for each other. I believe you'll know who the person is if you think on it carefully."

"Don't pressure him," Sehun says. "If you phrase it that way, he'll stay up all night overthinking and then get married to whoever says hi to him first in his Foreign Policy class tomorrow. He usually does stupid things under pressure."

"I don't!" Jongin squeaks.

There's a vindictive gleam in $uho's eyes. "Sehun," he says slowly. "That's your name, right?"

"Oh no," Sehun groans. "I don't need you to analyze my name and interpret my future. There's no special meaning behind my name. I was named after my mom's favorite rapper."

$uho produces a deck of cards seemingly out of nowhere. "Sehun, please pick one."

Sehun is about to protest, but Jongin's expectant glance is really something. He halfheartedly takes out one in the middle.

"Now, you two pick one together."

They don't need to look at each other to reach for the one on the far left. Sehun feels a little warm when their fingers brush.

$uho has an indecipherable smile on his face. He flips over Sehun's card. There's a revolving wheel in the center, and four winged creatures sitting upon clouds in each corner of the card.

"Wheel of Fortune," the fortune teller says. "Sehun, it means you and your soulmate are a matchmaking done by the Universe. You two are destined to be together. And," he squints his eyes at Sehun, "I can sense that the person is already around."

Sehun arches a brow, unimpressed. $uho doesn't seem bothered. He lays down the Wheel of Fortune card and picks up the card Sehun and Jongin had picked out together. The atmosphere in the room stills for a minute, until he exhales. "Oh."

"Is it bad?" Jongin murmurs, sounding scared.

"No, it's fine. But you guys are not going to believe me."

" _Please_ tell me," Jongin begs.

"You don't have to," says Sehun. "Jongin is a child. He's curious about everything."

"Here," $uho pushes the card towards them. It shows a picture of a naked man and a naked woman being protected by an angel above. They are standing in a landscape which appears to be the Garden of Eden. " _The Lovers_. It's the best card you can get in a love or soulmate spread."

"What do you mean?"

"An upright Lovers card means intense attraction, harmony and perfection in a relationship."

"So?"

"You both already meet your soulmate," $uho repeats what he'd said, but louder and much, much slower. "And you chose The Lovers card together."

"No way," Sehun says immediately. "We are not dating."

"Never said you are," $uho shrugs. "Like I mentioned earlier, the path isn't clear at the moment. You're going to experience a near death situation before you see it."

"See what?"

"That the two of you are soulmates," he concludes. "And you're meant to be together till the end of time."

\---

"Don't be so grumpy," Jongin laughs and slings an arm around Sehun's shoulder. "This is not the first time someone thinks we're dating."

"Yeah, but we have to _pay_ for it," Sehun huffs. He tries to blow his long bangs out of his face, but fails. "Why did he charge me though? I never said I wanted him to read my future. I'm going to sue him."

"Stop being melodramatic," Jongin says. "Here, let me."

He rises on his tiptoes to fix Sehun's hair, sweeping the brown strands that have been obscuring his vision to the side neatly.

"Cute," Jongin grins. Sehun pretends to peel Jongin's fingers off his shoulder, but it's of no avail.

"You're paying for my bubble tea," Sehun grumbles.

"What a materialistic soulmate that I have."

"Well, get used to it," Sehun quips back, "since we're stuck together for _eternity_."

Sehun's sure he means it as a joke. He isn't sure why their favorite bubble tea shop is playing _Marry Me_ today, nor why they are greeted with pink, heart-shaped balloons at the door. Then comes the loud whoops and clapping from behind the cashier counter. Sehun shoves a balloon aside and Yixing is beaming at him, showing off the signature deep dimples in his cheeks.

"Congratulations! You guys are the lucky 50th couple of the day!"

He points at the chalk sign on the wall. "The lucky couple will receive our newest love-inspired drinks, Angel's Tit and Blue Balls, plus our special homemade donuts. Everything's free!"

"Yixing," Sehun sighs. "You know we are not a couple."

Yixing ignores him. "The drinks are a part of our exclusive Valentine's Day collection. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated."

"Yixing, Valentine's Day was last week."

"He's probably just following the store's promotion scheme," Jongin says. He takes Sehun's hand and laces their fingers together. "Let's make his life easier. Look at the dark circles under his eyes. He must've stayed up all night for his project and I'm sure his brain is functioning on autopilot now."

They watch in rapt silence as Yixing puts a marker into the blender and wipes his face with a microfiber cloth specifically used for cleaning the countertops.

"You're right," Sehun says.

"I'm always right," Jongin replies smugly. "Okay, I'm going to find a table. You wait here for our prize. Oh, and I—"

"Don't like vanilla donuts, I know. If they don't let me choose the flavors, you can eat all the chocolate donuts. I'm fine with vanilla."

"You're the best soulmate ever," Jongin bats his eyelashes and sends Sehun a teasing smirk before turning around to search for a window table.

"Why is there only one chocolate donut and eleven vanilla donuts?" Sehun inquires. "Are you trying to get rid of old vanilla extract?'

Yixing's co-worker, a mint-haired staff whose nametag reads _Mark_ , shrugs. "Yeah. We still have a bunch in our inventory."

"Can I at least get two chocolate? Jongin is in a bad mood and he needs more than just one chocolate donut. Preferably five, but two will also do."

Mark is quiet for a moment. "Your boyfriend seems happy to me," he says. Sehun follows his line of sight and finds Jongin making a funny face at a baby across him. He sticks his tongue out and makes bunny teeth. The baby laughs, a rich and delicious giggle.

Jongin continues to utter weird sounds to get the baby's attention. Sehun wants to facepalm. There's no way that idiot is his soulmate. Preposterous.

"You know what?" He tells Mark. "All these donuts are for me. He gets none."

Mark looks bored. "Are you two practicing tough love or something?"

Sehun almost declares their not-dating status for the second time in a day, then remembers they're getting free food because Yixing claims they're a couple. "Yeah," he grumbles. "We are."

Mark stares at Sehun, then at Jongin, who is trying to mimic an annoying car alarm. "Good luck, man."

\---

"Did he really said that?" Jongdae asks, amused. "You two will be brought together by the powers of fate?"

"Yes, for a price of 50,000 won," Sehun huffs angrily. He's been eating dehydrated noodles for a week and it's all Jongin's fault. "Can't imagine people still believe in all this psychic bullshit. It's not backed by any empirical evidence."

"You're just scared that people can predict the future," Jongdae says. "Jongin, what do you think?"

"Good," Jongin says, eyes glued to his phone screen. "What the fuck, Ezreal? Are you really AFK? You were supposed to heal a second earlier!"

"He's going to fall back into Silver 3," Sehun whispers to Jongdae.

"Fuck, I'm going to fall back into Silver 3!" Jongin grits his teeth in frustration. "Fuck you, Ezreal. No, Elise, like you're one to talk. You didn't even know how to time your smite."

"Is he always raging like that?"

"Only when he plays." Jongin has played more than 3000 hours in 5 years and is still in silver because he always gets terrible teammates during ranked matches. "Otherwise, he's just an idiot."

Jongdae leans closer to Sehun. "But he's _your_ idiot," he winks, and Sehun promptly pushes him away. The three of them continue to walk in the direction of the cafeteria when Jongdae points to a crowd of students nearby. "Look, the drama club is filming for their Spring Festival production."

"Seems like there's a proposal scene," Jongdae comments. Sehun squints his eyes and notices a guy getting down on one knee with a bouquet of red roses and a velvet box. In front of him is Kyunghee, who has an uncharacteristically emotional, blushing look splashed across her face. Now that Sehun sees this, he remembers Chanyeol mention about Kyunghee playing the female lead in a short movie directed by Baekhyun, the president of their university's drama club.

"Look, Jongin, your favorite noona is acting cute," Sehun tugs at Jongin's sleeve. "Go take some photos."

Jongin responds in his _I'll be league silver trash forever_ tone. "Why?"

"Because it's not every day that you can see a cute Kyunghee noona," Sehun reasons. He sort of wants to sell these photos to Chanyeol for some cash to get real food meals until his next paycheck and in order to do that, he needs Jongin's photography skills. "This must be destiny."

Jongin seems unconvinced, but opens his camera regardless. He takes a few steps forward and motions Sehun to come next to him to check the angle.

Then Baekhyun's loud voice rings through the air. "Cut! Good job, Taeyong, Kyunghee. Let's move to the next scene."

The next scene starts with Kyunghee and Taeyong standing face to face. Kyunghee is beaming, her eyes shine vividly under the sunlight. Then the view is blocked by a group of drama club members who rush to their positions on the set. Jongin is sneaking around the crowd to snap a few more shots when something flies toward him. Sehun quickly pulls him away from potential harm; they land on the ground, Jongin's back against Sehun's chest and a bouquet of red roses laying in Jongin's hands.

Sehun blinks. "It suits you."

"What?"

"The red roses," Sehun gestures to the bouquet. "They match your style."

"Dumb and childlish?" That's what Sehun usually tells him.

_Strong and sexy_ is what Sehun actually means, but words are overrated in modern society.

Someone clears their throat audibly. Jongin and Sehun both look up to see Jongdae aiming his phone camera at them, a mischievous grin dancing across his lips. Next to Jongdae is Kyunghee, who is still smiling, but to Sehun's surprise, it's not her _"I'm a serial killer and I'll murder you in your sleep"_ smile. It's a normal, adorable one.

"Hi there, future bride," Kyunghee says to Jongin. "How are you doing?"

Jongin's eyes are as wide as saucers. "What did you just call me?"

"Future bride," Kyunghee repeats. "We were filming a wedding scene and you caught the bouquet."

Jongin glances down abruptly to the rose bouquet on his lap. Then his gaze drifts to a tall guy who's dressed up like a pastor standing across him. One of Sehun's arm is resting on Jongin's waist, and all of a sudden $uho's words come back in Jongin's head. _You're meant to be together till the end of time._

He immediately drops the bouquet. "It's a pure coincidence."

Sehun gently picks the bouquet up off the ground. "Can we keep this?" He asks Kyunghee. "I think the color fits Jongin really well."

"Sehun," Jongin hisses. "You're making it worse."

"Sure," Kyunghee drawls. "Just don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

"Very funny," Jongin says. "We are not getting mar—"

Kyunghee waves him off before he can finish his sentence and walks back to where Baekhyun and Taeyong are talking animatedly.

"I've got a couple nice shots in my phone," Jongdae chimes in. "In case you guys are on a budget and don't want to spend a fortune on pre-wedding photos, you know who to contact."

Jongin lowers his head onto his hands. Sehun remains unperturbed.

"I think Chanyeol has a vase in his dorm," he says, after a few moments of thinking. "We can drop by and steal it."

\---

"What's this?"

"Chocolate," Jongin replies, flipping though a random Vogue magazine he found under Sehun's bed while Sehun is sorting through the groceries Jongin'd bought. "For our movie night."

Thursday night is reserved for their movie time. They'd get popcorn, chocolate, soda, alcohol and call it a night, just the two of them chilling in their dorm room, watching something together and cuddling each other to sleep. It's a staple of their friendship, and both are proud that they've never missed a single night since they started the tradition in middle school.

"Why are you buying Valentine's Day chocolate?" Sehun asks, holding up a red heart-shaped box.

"The store is having a clearance of Valentine's Day chocolates," Jongin rolls his eyes. He'd tried to find a non-romantic box, but there was none. "I got it at 50% off."

"Oh." Sehun hasn't been dating anyone since his breakup with Luhan, an exchange student, in freshman year. He's just busy, and dating is too much work. You have to remember so many things. Anniversary, first kiss, first date, Valentine's Day, your boyfriend's mother's birthday, your boyfriend's sister's dog's favorite food. Sehun doesn't have the energy.

"It's Hershey's," Jongin says. "I don't care about shapes, as long as they taste good."

Jongin has a point. "Okay," Sehun nods. "What are we watching today?"

"Paranormal Witness," Jongin sets the magazine aside and reaches for Sehun's laptop. "I had a very weird dream last night."

Sehun kicks off his shoes and joins Jongin on the bed. "How weird?"

Jongin hands him a bucket of popcorn. Salted caramel, Sehun's favorite. "There was a plane crash in my dream," Jongin says quietly. "We were both on it."

Sehun suddenly feels a strange presence in the room. He can't explain it; it's as if there's an invisible black hole that sucks all the energy to that spot ten feet away from him. He swiftly turns around, but there's nothing except for the framed picture of them at their high school graduation on Jongin's desk.

"It probably means nothing. Couldn't be a bad omen, we don't have any upcoming plan that involves airplanes," Jongin continues, oblivious to the unusual air surrounding them. "Sehun? You okay?"

Sehun opens his mouth to say yes, he's okay, because often, what is believed to be supernatural is actually caused by natural phenomena. Telekinesis and ghosts do not exist, no matter how many episodes of _Paranormal Witness_ Jongin makes him watch. But then, instantly, Sehun feels really, really cold. A shiver runs through him, and he can see himself slowly losing his grip.

"Sehun!" Jongin's hands are on his face now. "Are you alright? Did it hurt anywhere?"

The concern in Jongin's voice snaps Sehun out of his trance, then the air becomes normal again.

"I'm great," he mumbles, looking around for the AC remote when he realizes the sudden drop in temperature didn't feel like the AC going off at all. It wasn't the heating system going crazy either, because the entire dorm building is at a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit. 

A frightening thought crosses Sehun's mind. What if the universe is sending him signs? The couple prize, the bouquet toss, now the love chocolates. Are they really all coincidences?

He scoots back to look at Jongin. They've been friends for so long Jongin is as much as his flesh and blood as his own sibling, if not more. Sehun doesn't remember his sister's birthday, but he's always the first one to call and wish Jongin a happy birthday. In every firsts and every lasts, they always have each other.

Jongin's eyes brighten through his glasses when he catches Sehun's gaze. "You think so too, don't you?"

"Think what?"

"The banana filter is super cool," Jongin literally clambers onto Sehun's lap, forcing Sehun to face the camera. The filter has turned them into yellow bananas with comically big eyes. Jongin can't stop giggling, and as usual, Sehun can't see what's so funny.

"Anyways," Jongin says halfway through the episode. The lights in the narrator's house start to flicker off and on. "If we were about to die and you could only say one last thing to me, what would you say?"

"You're an idiot."

"Really?"

"I'm not going to let you die," Sehun says matter-of-factly. "Or at least I'll die trying to keep you alive."

Jongin blushes and turns to bury his face in the crook of Sehun's neck, signaling that movie time is over and cuddle time has begun.

\---

"Frankly, I don't believe in the concept of _The One_ ," Sehun tells Chanyeol over lunch a few days later. "It's an elusive fantasy that leads to negative impacts on a relationship. People should trust in romantic growth, not romantic destiny."

"True, but there are also things that go beyond the realm of what humans can directly verify," Chanyeol states. He takes a big bite out of his cheeseburger. "If the universe is trying to hook you up with your soulmate, why don't you go with it? You're single anyway."

"No one is trying to do anything," Sehun scowls. He actively tries not to think about how he's been hearing the same love song play over and over again from all the different places he goes with Jongin. Or how both of them have been bombarded by stories of people getting engaged or finding love on a daily basis, which usually end with them being asked _"When's your turn?"_ and they'd make up some excuses to change the topic. Normally they'd have a good laugh in situations like these, but with the recent repetitive events, it's hard to laugh without stuttering or staring at the way Jongin's plump lips move when he talks, in Sehun's case.

"Jonginnie is a nice guy," Chanyeol says, and Sehun wants to agree, because Jongin is nice, but he also wants to disagree, because he was certain that Chanyeol had a big, fat crush on his best friend when they first met at soccer club tryouts during Orientation week. Chanyeol'd looked at Jongin like he hung the moon and stars in the sky, and Sehun'd looked at Chanyeol like he wanted to hang Chanyeol in medieval execution style, according to Jongdae. 

"Besides," Chanyeol continues to talk around his food, "didn't you tell him that he should date someone like you? May as well be you."

That conversation happened after Jongin's breakup with The Asshole, who didn't deserve to be named. What kind of scum broke things off via a text message? In a fit of anger, Sehun came to the asshole's dorm and almost strangled him. When he returned to his room, Jongin was hitting himself with a pillow, and Sehun'd held Jongin in his arms, like he always does when Jongin's upset, and told Jongin to stop giving his heart away so easily, unless it was someone who treated him as good as Sehun did. _Anyone below that standard would be a waste of time and effort_ , he'd said, and Jongin'd fallen asleep with a smile on his puffy face. Jongin has stopped dating since then, which is understandable, since it's not easy to find someone like Sehun. As the saying goes, good guys are either taken, gay, dead, fictional or not interested in looking for a partner. Sehun is even more perfect because he fits two criterias — he's gay _and_ unattached. No wonder why it takes so long for Jongin to find a charming guy who could be on par with him.

"I told you, whatever is happening is not fate," he scrunches up his nose in disdain. "We're not living in a movie. It's not like they gonna play _A Thousand Years_ and Jongin will magically appear right in front of me. That only happens in those cheesy K-dramas you're addicted to."

Chanyeol cocks his head slightly to the side. His eyes sparkle with amusement. "Over here, Jongin!"

"This joke is so old. Did you get it from the Anunnaki?"

"But I'm not joking."

Sehun sighs and turns around to grab his jacket. He's decided that instead of listening to Chanyeol's ramblings, it'd be more useful to spend the remaining time of lunch break reviewing his Philosophy lecture note.

Chanyeol lifts a hand up to wave at someone behind him. The distinct sound of rocks crunching under Chelsea boots becomes louder. Sehun stills.

Then Jongin slides into the empty seat beside Sehun and casually steals one of Sehun's curly fries. "Chanyeol hyung," he smiles. "I haven't seen you since forever."

"I haven't seen anyone besides the librarian in _ages_ ," Chanyeol fake sobs. "I don't feel like I'm double majored in Business and Music anymore. At this point I'm double majored in sleep deprivation and worry with a minor in night crying."

"Jongin," Sehun interjects. "You were supposed to be in class."

"Professor Jung got an emergency call. His dog accidentally swallowed a spider, so he let us out early."

"Poor baby," Chanyeol says.

_Coincidence_ , Sehun quietly chants in his head, _coincidence_.

"Why are you only eating fries for lunch?" Jongin frowns at Sehun. "It's unhealthy."

"I like it."

"We're going to Jongdae's after class," Jongin says. "He's making beef stew. You need to eat properly. It's midterm week."

"Stop babying me," Sehun says and shoves more fries into his mouth.

Jongin laughs. "Stop being a baby then," he coos, clinging to Sehun's arm like a leech.

A minute goes by, and Jongin finally realizes there's also Chanyeol at the table. "Ah, hyung," he whips his phone out. "I have something to show you."

He goes to his camera roll, turns up the volume and opens a video. The moment it starts playing, Sehun freezes in his seat. The familiar mellow tune of piano and cello fills his ears, and for the first time since Sehun knew Kyunghee, her soft and clear vocal no longer makes him feel like he is gliding over green meadows under a peaceful blue sky. Instead, he's plummeting into an abyss. Because in the video, Kyunghee was singing _A Thousand Years_.

Chanyeol looks like he's on the verge of crying, and Sehun does too, although for a completely different reason.

Jongin is playing with Sehun's hand, tracing random patterns in Sehun's palm with his fingers. Sehun's chest seizes up; it's hard to breathe and he wishes he'd said no to Jongin when his best friend told him to walk through that old door of the fortune teller's place.

He growls at Jongin like an angry wolf. It's supposed to be intimidating, but Jongin coos again. "Are you hungry?" He asks. "Let's go buy you strawberry milk."

That's so not the point.

\---

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Come on, Sehun," Jongin pleads. "You don't have to do anything differently. Just keep quiet and follow me."

Sehun removes Jongin's arm on his neck — why is Jongin's arm on his neck? — and takes a step back. "Jongin, you want us to be engaged."

"I want us to be engaged for two hours so we can try free wedding cake samples at Park Hyatt."

"....."

"They make the best Ultimate Chocolate Cake."

"Okay," Sehun says too quickly. "Let's do it."

Jongin's face lights up like it's fucking Christmas. He rummages through his jeans pocket until he lets out an excited, "Found it!", and gingerly takes Sehun's hand.

"Oh Sehun," Jongin whispers, holding out a plastic fishbowl ring that was sold out of vending machines in the 1970s. Sehun knows because he's seen Jongin's nephew play with this ring before. It belongs to Jongin's mother's college goodies collection. "The day I found you, I found the reason for my smile. Will you let me be the reason for your smile for the rest of your life?"

Sehun stares at the blue little fish floating loosely in a hollow plastic bubble and wonders if he could become a fish. Then he could close his eyes and float, not thinking about anything, and when he wakes up, he'd already be in Busan. A fish doesn't have to worry about how to stuff his heart back into his chest, or how to react to his best friend blushing to the point his face is almost full-sunburn red. What should Sehun do? Blush back? Give Jongin his mineral sunscreen? To avoid sunburn? Although it's 6 PM?

"Did you copy these words from the Internet?" Sehun makes a face, but he lets Jongin slip the ring onto his finger.

"You can get me one later," Jongin offers generously. He still looks as red as tomato ketchup.

Three sets of cake samples later, Jongin is laughing hysterically at, literally, nothing. Jongin in a sugar rush is much worse than Jongin getting high on weed. Sehun swallows a forkful of coconut mousse with lime filling and gives the waitress a polite smile.

"Thank you for taking your time to help us."

The waitress nods, a soft pink creeping up her cheeks. "We will send you a feedback form via email about your experience today," she pauses. "If you don't mind, can I take a picture of you two?"

"Of course," Sehun says. She excuses herself to go retrieve a camera from the front desk. Jongin turns to blink at Sehun, then he guffaws for no reason, with some of the chocolate frosting from the blackforest cake smeared around his mouth.

_What an idiot_ , Sehun thinks, and leans forward to help Jongin clean up the only way he knows. He presses his lips to the corner of Jongin's mouth, and licks the chocolate off.

He hears the loud click of a camera shutter, and immediately pulls away. The waitress lowers her Canon 6D, sends him a knowing grin before heading back to her colleagues at the front desk, probably to swoon over how cute Jongin and Sehun are as a couple. They are, in fact, not a couple, but no one is going to believe it, so Sehun doesn't bother to explain.

"My stomach hurts," Jongin whimpers as he climbs onto Sehun's bed that night. He makes whiny noises deep in his chest like a wounded animal.

"You ate too much cake," Sehun mumbles sleepily. "Come here."

Jongin couldn't see anything since the lights are turned off; so he lets Sehun's familiar warmth guide him and moves closer. A twisting cramp grips him and he curls up around his stomach, a pained moan muffled into Sehun's neck.

Sehun gently runs his fingers through Jongin's hair. "Breathe, Jonginnie," he says, sounding more awake now. "It's gonna be alright."

"It hurts. I feel awful."

"Shh, baby, I've got you," Sehun slides a hand under Jongin's T-shirt to rub small light circles on Jongin's stomach. "Take a deep breath for me."

Jongin inhales deeply, forcing the air back out and hissing through his teeth. "There you go. You're doing great," Sehun reassures. The pain starts to subside, and Jongin gradually calms down. He nuzzles against Sehun's chest, breathes in Sehun's fresh scent, and falls asleep to the sound of Sehun singing him a lullaby.

"What would I do without you," is the last thing Jongin says before his eyes drift shut.

Sehun doesn't answer. Instead, he tightens his arm around Jongin, as if Jongin were his body pillow. In the darkness of their dorm room, Sehun finds himself thinking about the same question. Jongin, what would I do without _you_?

\---

"Am I dreaming?" Jongdae stares at his wine glass. "Jongin is treating us to dinner at Wolfgang's?"

"You've been saying the same thing every five minutes since we got here," Kyunghee deadpans. "Be classy, Jongdae. You're drinking the finest French wine money could buy."

"It's because Jongin's never treated us to anything before," Baekhyun interjects, "let alone a fancy steak dinner." His brows knit together. "This is not a trap, right? He's not going to disappear when the bill arrives?"

"Excuse me," Jongin says. "I'm still here."

"So," Chanyeol says, coming out of his footsie game with Kyunghee. "Did your cousin really just come home one day and give you a check for one million won?"

"Apparently it was my belated high school graduation gift," Jongin says. "My cousin's like that. She comes home once every decade and just writes checks to all family members. I don't even know what she does for a living."

"Can we trade?" Jongdae points at Kyunghee. "She's been my cousin for too long. It's way past the expiration date."

"You'd be useless without me," Kyunghee replies.

"I'm not Chanyeol," Jongdae sneers, at the same time Taeyong blurts out, "So it's true."

Sehun looks up from his phone. "Wow, you finally said a word that was not _Baekhyun_."

"Don't be mean," Baekhyun scowls. "What's true, Taeyongie?"

Sehun probably digs his own grave. "The prophecy," Taeyong answers. "The fortune teller mentioned that Jongin has lucky financial omens, didn't he?"

"Speaking of soulmates," Kyunghee ventures. "How is it going for you guys?"

"No one is talking about soulmates, Kyunghee," Jongdae says. "But we should. $uho-sama is never wrong."

Honestly, it's been a month since then and Sehun is zen. He's like a peaceful lake on which no waves stir. "We don't care anymore," he tells Jongdae. "Plus, all these random couple promotions we've been getting are great."

"There's no such thing as random," Kyunghee says with a neutral face. "Everything has a wave function, and—"

"Stop," Baekhyun says.

"You all are too vanilla for quantum physics," Kyunghee scoffs, looking slightly homicidal. Either she's mad that Baekhyun dared to interrupt her, or she was born this way. "Just like how Jongin and Sehun are too vanilla to fuck."

"Why are you talking as if we weren't here?" Jongin asks.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm feeling full from the smell of _denial_."

Jongin turns to Sehun. "Is that a new dish?"

Sehun ignores him. "Now that you guys mention desserts," he stares off into the distance. "Anyone wants to share a hot fudge sundae?"

"You know," Taeyong looks at both Sehun and Jongin thoughtfully. "You should be more careful."

"And why is that?"

"The near death experience," Baekhyun jumps in. Taeyong blushes. Perhaps he's thinking about tattooing today's date on his skin to remember the day his crush shares the same wavelength with him. "If you two continue to be so hellbent on your not-dating thing, one of you might face deadly danger."

"You're always overreacting," Sehun says, and proceeds to finish his sundae before Jongin can take a second bite.

\---

"Can you repeat what the fuck did you just say?"

Jongin shifts in his seat. "I said you should stay home and feed Vivi."

"No, before that."

"Uhm," Jongin wiggles his fingers nervously. "I forgot?"

"Then I'll remind you," Sehun exclaims. His nostrils flare and his eyes narrow murderously. "You said I can't go out on a date with Johnny from Philosophy class because you'll be busy with dance practice and need someone to feed our RA's dog?"

"Yeah," Jongin says. "You got the idea."

"Minseok hyung can take care of _his_ dog," Sehun exhales. Patience is a virtue. "He doesn't ask either of us to babysit Vivi."

"He will," Jongin argues. Sehun presses his face into his palms. It's been a long day, in a long week, and a moody Jongin is the last thing he needs on his list. "Whatever, Jongin. I'm going."

"I will not allow that!" Jongin protests, hovering over Sehun and smelling like sweat with a unique undercurrent of sandalwood and petrichor. "It's dangerous."

Sehun snorts. "Since when eating pasta is dangerous?"

"It's not about the pasta!" Jongin hisses. "It's about the fortune telling. You can't go without me — what if you _die_?"

"I've been very patient with you about this whole clairvoyance stuff but you're taking it too far," Sehun says slowly. "It's just a meal. No one is going to die. Besides, we have our own lives. We can't just stick together forever."

Jongin's face falls. "We can't?"

"Of course, we will start dating people again eventually," Sehun says. It will be difficult to find someone who can finish Sehun's sentence like Jongin, but he'll have to try. Sehun is young and he wants to experience love. "Gotta practice when we get the chance, yeah?"

Jongin is quiet for a moment, there's something in the way he bites down on his lip that Sehun can't pinpoint. It leaves an unsettling feeling in Sehun's gut, because Jongin to him has always been an open book.

"Okay, if you say so," Jongin pats his shoulder. "But bring your omamori with you."

Sehun's lucky charm, which was acquired from a temple in Kyoto, was given to him by Jongin's mother. "I always bring it with me," Sehun motions towards his wallet on his desk, and Jongin smiles.

Jongin doesn't mention about Sehun's date again. Nevertheless, the uncomfortable feeling stays with Sehun and every time he looks at Jongin, a wave of guilt and something indescribable sweeps over him.

"Is he going to be alright?"

Taemin, Jongin's friend and the president of dance club, sighs. "This is a studio, not a kindergarten. You look like a first-time mom who drops off her toddler on his first day of school. But if it helps, I can give Jongin milk every two hours."

"That won't be necessary," Sehun says. Inside, Jongin is talking to Moonkyu, flailing his arms for emphasis. "Just let me know if anything comes up?"

"Fine, I'll update you every hour," Taemin says. "But here's my advice: Don't read my texts. Enjoy your date, although you have no plan on a second date."

"You don't know that."

"Oh," Taemin quirks a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. "I _know_ that."

\---

Taemin keeps his promise. He sends Sehun blurry photos of Jongin every hour, because he's a terrible photographer and too tired of Sehun's shit. Sehun receives a video of Jongin trying to do a backflip and failing, like always, when Johnny arrives.

"I'm really excited to have dinner with you too," Johnny says in lieu of a greeting and Sehun realizes he's forgotten to wipe the smile off his lips. Well. It's not like they'll have any succeeding date.

The date is decent. Johnny is nice, smart, has a lot of interests in computer science and action movies like Sehun, and a great sense of humour. Two hours pass in the blink of an eye.

"I hope this doesn't come off as creepy, but I like watching you during class," Johnny admits while they're waiting for the bill. Sehun blinks in surprise because he never pays attention to anyone around him. He doesn't pay attention to people in general, except for Jongin, because Jongin is his bestie, and Chanyeol, because Chanyeol has good taste in music.

"I'm flattered, but you should also watch the lecture slides." Professor Lee is amazing and his lectures are the best.

Johnny bursts out laughing. "You're really, really cute," he says. "Do you want to get a drink? I'd like to hear what you think about Rousseau's social contract theories."

Sehun's alcohol-deprived mind says yes, but his intuition says no. He can sense it, the intensified tightness in his core telling him something is off. He opens his mouth to ask for a glass of water, then he feels the sudden cold air again. Sehun shudders visibly, it's as if he's falling to the bottom of an ice cave.

"Sehun," Johnny's voice is full of concern. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Sehun stands up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. The waiter immediately comes over and asks him if everything's alright or something like that, but all he could mutter is, "I have to call Jongin."

And that's what he does. He calls again, and again, and again, but Jongin never picks up.

He doesn't remember what happens — he'd yelled at the taxi driver and made him run a red light on the way to the studio, the one place that he should never have brought Jongin to. His phone keeps ringing with incoming calls from their friends, but Sehun ignores them all, because he doesn't know what he's supposed to say. _Stop fucking trying to get me on the line while Jongin is held hostage in a building with twenty-seven other people by a criminal?_

This isn't what Sehun envisions when Jongin told him _"I want my life to be a movie"_ many years ago. Jongin's always been a dreamer. He's also dumb, very, very dumb to naively believe that Sehun'd come pick him up after his date so they could get ice cream together. Which sounded exactly like Sehun's plan, but it doesn't matter anymore. Jongin chose to stay after practice to wait for Sehun, and that was when an armed criminal barged in and took an entire floor hostage to make demands with the police.

The building is surrounded by police cars and ambulances. Sehun's legs are shaking from the grip of panic, a shrill scream stuck in his throat as he runs aimlessly through the crowd, almost throwing up, hot blood rushing through his veins and his brain is on fire. Taemin spots him first; he's at the front right behind the barricade tape next to a police officer.

Sehun smashes into Taemin and almost knocks both of them to the ground. "Let me in!" He yells. "Let me the fuck in!"

"Calm down, Sehun," Taemin tries to hold him down. "The criminal is dead. He just got shot through a window. They're evacuating people now."

"Where the hell is Jongin?"

Taemin's grasp on his arm tightens, but there's no answer. "Lee Taemin," Sehun growls. "Where. Is. Jongin?"

The police officer eases himself in front of Taemin, facing Sehun. "Sehun, I need you to calm down and listen to me." He keeps his voice even. "We'd taken down the suspect, but he brought a bomb with him. The bomb would go off immediately if it couldn't detect any human presence in the area, so your friend volunteers to stay behind as we evacuate other hostages. He's on the phone with our bomb squad. Please stay here."

What the actual fuck. "Are you out of your mind?" Sehun grabs the police officer's collar and shakes him furiously. It's getting really hard to breathe. "He can't do this. Let me in. I'll take his place."

"You can't let Jongin disarm a bomb. You can't put _his_ life at risk." His chest heaves as he tries to regulate his breathing. He can't afford to have a panic attack here. Jongin needs him. "Not on my fucking watch. Let. Me. In."

"I can't," the police officer starts, when an unfamiliar voice comes through his radio. "Minho, what's the ETA of the bomb squad?"

Minho gives up squirming out of Sehun's vice-like grip. "Ten minutes, sir."

The other line goes quiet for less than a second. "That might be a problem. The timer just went down from six. We'll need the boy to cut the wire."

"You fucking won't!" Sehun is screaming now. His throat hurts and he's pretty sure his balls just crawl up inside his chest and he's falling, falling, falling. "I can't leave Jongin alone. I have to go in there. Just. Please. Jongin can't die. _Please_."

"No one is going to die," Minho says. "Your friend just needs to cut the green wire."

"You don't understand!" The desperate sound that can't get past Sehun's lips robs him of his senses and leaves him in fear. "He couldn't even cut his nails properly. Oh god. Did you know he bites his nails because he's afraid of nail clipper? Right. Fuck. I haven't let him touch a sharp object since he almost cut off his thumb when he tried to cook for me on my 14th birthday. I fucking love him. Jesus Christ. I love him more than anyone in this word. I can't let him die. Just let me in, I won't even need your bomb squad, I've watched enough TV shows to know how to murder someone and defuse a bomb—"

"Sehun," Minho cuts in, shoving his police scanner to Sehun's trembling hands. "Jongin wants to talk to you. We have three minutes left. Tell your boyfriend to cut the wire."

Jongin's voice fades in and out through the unstable radio. "—hun? Can you hear—?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Sehun clutches the device like a lifeline. "Jesus Christ. Jonginnie. You alright?"

The seconds are ticking by. "—ine—listen," Jongin comes back after a stream of static. "I think I love you."

Sehun's blood pressure is rising, but that's the least of his worries. Tears spring to his eyes and he breaks down. "You have the worst timing ever, dumbass. I've loved you since _forever_."

Someone is yelling through the speaker of Jongin's phone, or so Sehun thinks. "Cut the green wire now!"

"Don't ruin my moment, Yunho-ssi!" He hears Jongin yell back. "This might be my last words, so just fucking let me finish."

"Jongin, do you know how to cut a wire?" Sehun turns to Minho. "Did your supervisor tell him how to cut it? From the top? From the bottom? Two milimeters from the middle? Are you sure if it's actually green? What if that Yunho guy is color blind?"

"Stop babbling, you'll make Jongin panic," Minho grits his teeth. "Can you save your love confession for later and tell Jongin to cut the goddamn green wire for God's sake?"

"Taemin, your boyfriend has serious anger issues right there." Jongin's voice is unusually calm. "Sehun, I'm sorry that I spit into Luhan's coffee when you first started dating him. I love you, buddy. As in I want to do all the cheesy romantic things with you. Fuck. I'd ask you to kiss me if I weren't about to be blown away." He snickers to himself, because it's a bad pun, and it's such a typical Jongin thing to laugh at his own joke even when he could die at any moment.

"Jongin!" Minho and Yunho rage at the same time. "Cut the fucking green wire, please."

"Okay," Jongin says. "Okay. I gotta cut the stupid wire. Sehun. Remember that I love you. Please tell my family that I love them all. And tell them I love you. Because I do. Very much."

"Jongin—" Sehun says, but only static answers him. Sehun's fingers go numb, the rising bile of pain and failure is trying to crawl its way out of Sehun's dry throat. He squeezes his eyes shut, not ready to think about a future without Jongin. A second passes, then three, five, ten, twenty seconds.

Suddenly a low voice comes through the channel. "—clear. I repeat, all clear. I need EMT and Unit 217 inside. All other units, standby."

Sehun sinks to the ground as residual terrified sobs rake through his body. "Oh god," he gulps in mouthfuls of air, " _oh god_."

"I told you no one was going to die," Minho says. He takes a bottle of water from an ambulance nearby and gives it to Sehun. "Drink it and get yourself together. He'll come out any minute now."

\---

Jongin has a few scratches, his damp hair a horrible mess, but he looks fine. He jumps off the stretcher the moment he sees Sehun running towards him. Sehun catches him in his arms and hugs him tighter than he ever has, like he needs to feel every ounce of Jongin press into every ounce of him. 

"Hey," Jongin runs a hand up and down Sehun's back, soothing the tension away. "I'm here."

"You're an idiot," Sehun breathes out. "God, you're really an idiot."

Then, "Ask me."

"Ask you what?"

Sehun trails his thumb along Jongin's jaw until he cups the side of his head. "Ask me to kiss you," he says. "Like you said you would."

Jongin's eyes widen, then slowly, he beams up at Sehun and Sehun knows that look because it mirrors what he has on his face at this moment, the sense of satisfaction you get from knowing that someone wants you. They are going to do something that terrifies them to find only amazing things come out of it.

"I already know your answer," Jongin whispers and leans in to press their lips together. When Jongin's thumb brushes against a slice of skin at his hip, Sehun lets out a dizzied breath, which Jongin swallows eagerly. Jongin's lips are warm, like freshly baked soft milk bread. There's no fireworks or symphonies, the world isn't coming to an end and their kiss isn't going to make everything good and right, but it's fucking fantastic.

"Idiot," Sehun says, and Jongin's lost count of how many times Sehun has called him that today, but Sehun is smiling so brightly Jongin thinks he's watching a beautiful spring flower blossom. "Let's go home."

"Yeah," Jongin nods. "Can I still get ice cream on our way back?"

"You can get anything you want," Sehun grins in a _I-know-exactly-what-you-want_ type of way. Of course he knows. As much as Sehun rejects the idea of telepathy in the name of science, he's always been good at hearing Jongin's silent thoughts.

And maybe that's why Jongin has never had someone as good for him as Sehun. Sehun doesn't call Jongin cute or pretty. He calls Jongin dumb, idiot, supreme asshole, lazy sod. Sometimes when he's in a mood, he comes up with more creative insults, such as _"a bowl full of smoldering dick cheese"_ , _"my spirit animal would fucking eat yours"_ , or _"your little fickfresse"_ , which is a German way to say fuckface. But Sehun is also the one who'd seen Jongin at his worst and still stays. Sehun is there when Jongin feels like his life is falling apart to challenge him, ignite his deepest passion and help him get back on track. The ways they are opposite balances Jongin and the ways they are similar betters him.

If it's Sehun, then Jongin doesn't want to be called cute or pretty. Being with Sehun throughout the years holds up a mirror to him, revealing all that needs to be healed, all that Jongin wants to run from — and that’s painful, but hitting rough patches help them grow, and Jongin wouldn't have it any other way.

"You know," Jongin says when they're walking up the hill to their dorm, squeezing Sehun's hand in his. "I didn't say that because I thought I was about to be blown into smithereens, okay? It wasn't the adrenaline acting up. Well, strictly speaking, it was, but—"

Sehun shuts him up with a kiss.

"Wow," Jongin laughs, and it hurts because of the cut on his lip but frankly, he doesn't care. "Is this the rom-com cliché scene where you admit that the right person was in front of you the whole time but you didn't realize until you've dated a bunch of losers who make you appreciate the treasure you had all along aka me?"

"Not really," replies Sehun. Which is not a lie. Some of his exes are nice people. Sehun really valued the relationships, though they are nowhere near the all-consuming, incomparable bond he has with Jongin. It's hard to pinpoint exactly when he'd started falling for Jongin. Jongin is a natural extension of him, and as the saying goes, "When you know, you know."

"No problem," Jongin smiles. "That doesn't mean I want you any less."

Immanuel Kant once said, “Happiness is not an ideal of reason but of imagination,” yet for Sehun, right here, right now, happiness is not conjured by imagination. Happiness is Jongin's smile, so real and beautiful, and for a few seconds, it makes Sehun forget about everything else.

\---

Sehun thinks it's pretty cool — how quick it is to go from realizing your best friend is your soulmate to having said soulmate under you, panting and begging. They've skipped an important step. They aren't supposed to be together before a real date, in Sehun's Laws of Dating, but Jongin says fuck it, so here they are, naked, on Jongin's bed because Sehun just washed his sheets yesterday.

"Stop teasing me," Jongin grunts. The warm dribble of oil descends down his back, slowly tracing towards his puckered hole. Sehun hums and pulls his cheeks wide apart. Jongin whimpers when he feels the cool air, clenching up when a drip hits the pucker.

"Sehun," he whines, and Sehun responds by moving his fingers — slowly, deliciously — around and around. "Look how sensitive you are down there," Sehun watches Jongin arch into the touch, honey skin flushed with anticipation and desire. "Like no one ever fuck you here."

Because Jongin doesn't let anyone fuck him there when he's sober, since he's not comfortable showing his needy, vulnerable side to people. Drunk buttsex, on the other hand, is another story for another time, when he's not so busy stoking himself higher and higher on the way Sehun pushes his finger in and tilts his head to the side to kiss him. Sehun's finger is as skilled as his tongue, wiggling inside Jongin with utmost accuracy like it knows, knows what Jongin's inner pleasure is, knows the soul-awakening, knee-weakening emotions coursing through Jongin's veins. Sehun slides a second finger in and begins to stretch.

"Sehun," Jongin murmurs.

"Easy, baby," Sehun says. "I know what you need, but I have to get you ready. I don't want to hurt you, so stay with me, alright?"

Jongin's pulse beats faster as Sehun's lips trace the contours of his ear, then circle back to his earlobe and gently nibble on it, while his fingers plunge in deeper, twisting and turning with ease. "Look how your pretty hole is sucking my fingers in," Sehun whispers.

It should be disappointing that Sehun calls Jongin's asshole pretty and not him, but Jongin can't focus enough to verbally express his complaint when Sehun adds a third finger, finding his prostate, and Jongin cries out from a shock of pleasure. Every brush against the spot burns him up from the inside.

"Don't stop," he tells Sehun, and it doesn't sound like as much as a command as he imagined it. Sehun gets the message anyway. "I won't," he assures, moving the hand that's been holding Jongin's waist further down to grab Jongin's cock. Jongin immediately thrusts into his palm while his muscles clench around Sehun's fingers, low, wild noises leaving his throat as the incredible dual sensations overwhelm him.

"Sehun," he croaks out. "Please."

"At your command, baby," Sehun says. He slips his fingers out of Jongin's ass, chuckles when Jongin mewls at the sudden emptiness and gently flips Jongin over. "I will fuck you until you can't think straight."

_Just exactly what I want_ is what Jongin wants to say, but it comes out as a wanton moan when he lifts his head up and sees Sehun's lube-slick heavy cock. There's a rough edge to Sehun's gentle eyes; Jongin nearly couldn't wait, his body trembling. "Sehun," he digs his nails into Sehun's forearm. "Need you."

That's all it takes for Sehun to throw the last bit of his patience out of the window. He leans down to kiss Jongin, deep and emotional, bruising Jongin raw with his teeth.

"Spread your legs for me," Sehun orders, licking down Jongin's exposed neck. Jongin shakily eases his hands down, and soon his taut thighs are wide apart.

Sehun could barely think. His breathing is heavy as he presses his cock against the tight hole. Tears well up in Jongin's eyes; the pressure lights him up when Sehun begins to push in.

"Relax, little bean," Sehun runs a hand up and down his waist to soothe him. "Breathe for me, baby."

Jongin does, a shaking breath, and Sehun loves it, the way Jongin is so pliant beneath him and the feel of his pretty ass, hot and tight. Sehun pauses to take a breath, feeling like he might explode from the hot velvet clenching around the first inches. "God," Jongin says, eyes shut, lips quivering, so vulnerable, so desperately beautiful, and Sehun's mind screams _mineminemine_. He shuffles forward, slowly pressing all the way into Jongin until he's firmly seated. The initial discomfort turns into flash of pleasure, and Jongin hastily reaches down to pump his own cock. Even with his eyes closed, he could hear the crinkling of Sehun's satisfied smile, the heat that lays within both of them. Sehun begins to thrust, every press fast and hard and absolutely enchanting. Jongin tries to stick with his determination to act cool, because Sehun always tells him that there's nothing impossible to a man who will try, and Jongin isn't sure what he wants to prove here but he fails when Sehun goes particularly balls-deep and the flared tip of his gorgeous cock rubs over Jongin's prostate. Jongin lets out a guttural groan, landing in a sea of pleasure.

"Fuck," he whimpers like a weak animal. "Fuck." It's almost too much, at the same time it isn't enough. He wants to touch Sehun's skin, to kiss him hot and breathy, to feel Sehun fill him up completely until he breaks. He opens his eyes and blinks at Sehun, who slows down for a moment before he wraps his arm around Jongin's torso, bringing him upwards securely against Sehun's chest. The new angle makes everything more intense.

There's no need to sugar coat it — Sehun is fucking him, hard and demanding. Jongin pulls his head back, clutching Sehun's shoulder and breathing in Sehun's familiar scent. He's forgotten how words work, the only thing slipping out of him is Sehun's name.

"Beautiful," he hears Sehun say as he draws back, then rams into Jongin, splitting Jongin apart in the best possible way he could ever imagine.

Sehun sinks his teeth into Jongin's tempting collarbone, sucking up a hickey and licking the single drop of blood with his tongue. Jongin jerks up, because he's so in love with this man, has been for God knows how long, but he doesn't think much about it before, since the amount of time they’ve been together doesn’t matter, only the time they spend apart does, and in Jongin's twenty one years of existence, Sehun always makes sure to never leave Jongin alone.

His dazed expression must have caught Sehun's attention, because Sehun slows down. "What's wrong?"

"I just." Jongin shifts closer and brushes his lips softly against Sehun's, lingering long enough so they can share one breath. "I'm just in love with you."

Sehun smiles. "I know," and then he thrusts all the way inside, hitting Jongin's prostate with every precise stroke.

"Come for me, baby," Sehun growls into his ears. The pleasure is so overwhelming it starts to hurt, coiling in his gut as his vision blurs. With a few rhythmic pumps of Sehun's large hand on his cock, his restraint slips and then his orgasm hits him like a hurricane, blinding and convulsing, white spurts spilling all over his fingers and Sehun's stomach.

Sehun waits for a few seconds as Jongin calms down, reveling in the feel of Jongin clenching tightly around his cock. "Come on, Sehun," Jongin purrs, pushing his tongue past Sehun's clenched teeth. "Your turn, sweetie."

Jongin feels right against him, his lithe body fits into Sehun's arm like a piece of puzzle. Sehun pounds into Jongin one last time, gripping Jongin's hair and then the wave crashes over him and sweeps him away. It's like time stops for a moment, then Sehun exhales and pulls Jongin closer with his softening cock lodged deep inside him.

"Okay," Sehun says. He looks stunning, basking in the glow of really good sex, and Jongin's heart swells with pride. "Okay, yeah. Fuck."

"Yeah," Jongin agrees. He blinks when Sehun doesn't seem like he'll move any time soon. "Well, so. Are we going to stay like this for the rest of the night?"

Sehun laughs. "Good question," he nuzzles Jongin's neck. "Shower? Then Kraft Mac n Cheese."

The idea sounds great. "There's Yankee candle in my second drawer," Jongin says. "You can light it up when I microwave the Mac n Cheese so we can pretend we're going on our first official romantic date. Per your stupid Laws of Dating."

Sehun looks offended. "My standard is not that low," he protests. "I will take you on a real date. Remember the couple spa voucher we won at Park Hyatt's cake sampling?"

"Really, Sehun? You're using a voucher to ask me out?"

"Why not," Sehun shrugs. He scoops Jongin into his arms and lifts him up. "Let's go take a shower before hot water runs out."

"Are you sure you want to carry me to the bathroom like this?" Jongin asks, already nestling into Sehun's hold. "What if Minseok hyung sees us? We should give him a good reason, or he'll write us up again—"

"Don't worry," Sehun beams. "I can think of one."

"Which is?"

"Fate," Sehun says confidently. "We can tell him that whatever he thinks happened was a sign of fate bringing us together. The destiny calling."

Jongin's jaw goes slack. "Didn't you call it bullsh—"

"Of course I didn't," Sehun replies smoothly. "Your hearing must have been affected due to mental overexertion since you'd spent too much brain cell energy on staring at my cock."

Jongin opens his mouth to argue, then realizes Sehun is right. Even back then when they were still on the whole platonic thing, he'd always had a platonic appreciation for Sehun's cock.

"Wait," Sehun's expression shifts from surprised to amused. "Really?"

\---

"I totally flunked that test," Jongin sighs as he drops his Chemistry textbook onto the table with a loud thud. "I'm going to fail the class, then my family will disown me."

"Does it ever occur to you that you might need to actually study before your test?" Kyunghee suggests. There's no concern in her voice. Just sarcasm.

"Easy for you to say. You were born with the letter grade A on your forehead."

"Contrary to popular belief, and by popular I mean your lazy, good-for-nothing squad who inspires me to be nothing like you," Kyunghee takes a sip from her water bottle. "I ace all my tests because I study. And pay attention in class. Join discussion group. Also I don't fuck the night before a test."

"Get fucked," Baekhyun corrects.

"Don't talk like you know about my sex life," Kyunghee says. Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchange a look across the table. Everyone falls quiet, and then Kyunghee smiles her _"I'm a serial killer and I'll murder you in ten seconds"_ smile. "Oh. You _know_."

"I just remember I have basketball practice, like, now," Chanyeol announces. "Gotta go. Bye y'all." 

"But the basketball team is literally sitting behind us," Taeyong points out. "Who will Chanyeol hyung practice with?"

"His sins," Jongdae says.

"Anyways," Jongin violently pushes his textbook away. "Sehunnie, where's my lunch?"

Sehun frowns. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I didn't bring any lunch with me today," he whines. "I'm starving. Don't you feel that?"

"Feel...what, exactly?"

"My hunger," Jongin explains. "Aren't soulmates supposed to feel each other's pain?"

Sehun stares at him. "I don't know what's more upsetting. That you have a brain only for display, that you keep reading those Buzzfeed articles about soulmates and force me into watching terrible rom-coms with you, or that you lied to me and said you already studied when you came onto me."

Jongin pouts.

"Sehun is just trying to be tough," Baekhyun whispers not so quietly to Taeyong. "Jongin always outbaby him."

"I am the ultimate baby in this group," Sehun says. 

"Right," Jongdae points at a box of chicken nuggets in Sehun's bag. "I guess you just accidentally stopped at McDonald's then walked in by chance and bought Jongin's favorite lunch set."

"I hate all of you," Sehun taps his foot angrily, but when Jongin leans over to plant a kiss on his cheek, he melts. He watches Jongin's eyes shine with joy as he wraps his hands protectively around the box of nuggets like there were actual baby chicks inside, and realizes that whatever makes Jongin happy, he's also okay with it.

Next to him, Jongin is pretending to drink his fries. He still looks stupid, but also very cute. 

"Your opinion is invalid, noona," Jongin sticks his tongue out at an extremely disinterested Kyunghee. "I'm cute," he pats Sehun's arm. "I'm cute, ain't I?"

There's a first time for everything, Sehun thinks, so he turns to the side and answers with a firm "Yes."

The dumbfounded look that quickly morphs into a sunburned blush on Jongin's face is totally worth it. The orange rays shine through the glass window of the cafeteria, landing on Jongin's hair like sweet honey. 

Then Jongin smiles at him, in a way that makes Sehun think somehow the blazing sun had descended from the sky and made a home right on Jongin's lips. A palpable electric current runs through Sehun; he briefly closes his eyes and when he opens them, it feels like seeing Jongin for the first time.

He's in love with his best friend, and it's definitely one of the most freaking awesome feelings in the world.


End file.
